alcohol
Chapters: 1
On Sunday I Was Sick
On Sunday Roman was sick. Very sick.
Notes: 26
"Royal" Spirit
The rock-bottom counterfeit alcohol brand Anton uses as his measuring stick for terrible taste, a real and, at times, genuinely lethal product of the…
A Volume of 0.33 Liters
The 0.33-liter bottle size has a foreign origin. Its history traces back to the US: during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Pepsi-Cola began…
A Lemon Chaser: the "Nikolashka" -- cognac with lemon, sugar, and coffee
The history of the Russian cognac garnish known as the 'Nikolashka,' its tsarist-era legends, and why French sommeliers consider chasing cognac with…
Amaretto Liqueur
Amaretto is an Italian almond-flavored liqueur with a history reaching back to the 16th century. It appeared in Russia in the 1990s, becoming a…
Barensiegel and Cabernet: Alcohol from the Former Socialist Bloc
A guide to the tangled early-1990s market in Eastern Bloc liquor brands, knockoffs, and relabeled bottles — where the same drink could be genuine…
Bordeaux Saint-Émilion: the wine Zhorik savors while Roman pines for whiskey
The right-bank Bordeaux appellation of Saint-Émilion -- its terroir, classification system, and the celebrated 1982 and 1989 vintages Zhorik has open…
Jameson 15 Year Old Pure Pot Still: a status symbol in a glass
Jameson 15 Year Old Pure Pot Still: a rare Irish whiskey that, in mid-90s Russia, worked as a status symbol as much as a drink.
Kir Royal
Kir Royal is an elegant variation on the classic French Kir cocktail, in which ordinary white wine is replaced with champagne or another sparkling…
Klopovnik: from Plant to Cognac
The history of the term "klopovnik": from an insecticidal plant to Soviet cognacs with an unpleasant smell. Why mass-produced USSR cognacs smelled of…
Fortified Madeira Wine
The fortified wine of the Atlantic island, its accidental "estufagem" heating process, and its long fall from aristocratic luxury to cheap Soviet…
Martell: the cognac Roman cracks open when every other bottle runs dry
The history of the Martell cognac house, oldest of the "big four" cognac producers, founded in 1715.
Moet & Chandon in the Context of the 1990s
The mention of Moët & Chandon champagne in the office-opening scene carries a deep social and cultural subtext of early-1990s Russia. This French…
"Napoleon" Cognac: from French Legend to Soviet Shortage
The history of "Napoleon" cognac: from the legend of the Courvoisier house to the Soviet shortage. Why this designation of aging became a trademark…
Napoleon Cognac: The History of a Prestige Drink
Napoleon is an unofficial age designation for cognac, indicating a high-quality product comparable to the XO (Extra Old) category.
Rocks and Collins Glasses: Mid-1990s Bar Culture
A rocks glass is a short, wide tumbler, also known as an old fashioned glass or lowball glass. A Collins glass is a tall, cylindrical glass with a…
"Rum and Cola": a New Drink for an Era of Change
"Cuba Libre" (Spanish for "Free Cuba") was born at the turn of the 20th century during Cuba's war of independence from Spain. According to one…
Screaming Eagle and the Phenomenon of California Cult Wines
The story of Screaming Eagle began in 1986, when Jean Phillips, a former real estate agent, bought a 57-acre plot of land in Oakville, in the heart…
Sherry: The Fortified Wine of Andalusia
Sherry is a white fortified wine produced in southwestern Andalusia from Palomino grapes. Its name comes from the town of Jerez de la Frontera.
Shmurdyak
Shmurdyak is one of the many popular names for the cheap fortified wines that were widespread in the USSR from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. In…
Hangover, or Sickness of the Soul
A hangover isn't just the body's physical reaction to alcohol — it's also a "sickness of the soul." It causes dehydration, intoxication, and disrupts…
Spumante: Italian Sparkling Wine
The early 1990s brought a genuine revolution to the Russian alcohol market. After decades of shortage and limited choice, Soviet consumers were…
Spumante, Bols, Cin&Cin, and Popov
The flood of cut-rate, often counterfeit Western liquor brands that hit Russia the instant the state alcohol monopoly fell — including an American…
The "Baboukladchik" Cocktail
The "Womanstacker" cocktail was one of the best-known alcoholic drinks of the 1990s youth subculture. The name comes from the slang expression "to…
The tumbler glass in 1990s Russian drinking culture
The tumbler glass — a flat-bottomed, handleless glass — and its status as a marker of 'Western' sophistication in mid-90s Russian drinking culture.
The Martini Glass: History and the Function of Its Triangular Shape
The martini glass's triangular form isn't just an Art Deco icon — its long stem and flared bowl are precisely engineered to keep a cocktail cold and…
Veuve Clicquot Champagne: A Symbol of Luxury
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin is one of the most prestigious champagne houses in the world, founded in 1772 in Reims, France.